August 21, 2012

Somehow in this age of digital photography they were using a photo lab and they didn't wait until they got home to process the photos. The local lab called the police.

On Tuesday a magistrate sentenced the trio to six months in prison with hard labour, suspended for five years - which means they will not actually serve any time in jail. The court also levied a small fine on them.

They were convicted under a section of the Penal Code which outlaws deeds intended to wound or insult "the religious feelings of any class of persons" through acts committed in, upon or near sacred objects or places of worship.

Last month there were reports that five Arabs visiting the island were arrested for distributing "literature insulting to Buddhism."

While completely anecdotal based on my own person experiences, this reinforces my observation that Europeans are much ruder tourists than Americans. (By far the worse I've ever encountered are college-aged Germans.)

When I was in Korea, a conflict was shown on TV news between two groups of Buddhists, over control of a shrine. They were attacking each other with iron bars that they had ripped down from an iron picket fence. They were in their robes and everything. The idea that Buddhists are naturally peaceful is a total crock.

Once, a group of people saw a Ch'an (Zen) master spit on a buddha statue. They were repulsed and reprimanded the Ch'an master, "What is the matter with you? How can you spit on the statue of the Buddha?" The Ch'an master, who was not a bit offended, replied calmly, "Please show me a spot where the Buddha is not present? I need to spit again."

It's all a matter of showing respect for people in a country you visit and respecting their beliefs and traditions. Westerners are very bad at that. And the ignorance of Buddhism and what it stands for among the commentators to the news item seem to be monumental!

"Just like they prefer public transportation: only when other people use it."

????

Whatdo you mean with this statement?

Do you mean that people who espouse public transportation as preferable to private transportation don't really mean it? That they're hypocrites?

Or something more elusive?

I, for one, DO prefer public transportation.

But then, I live in NYC, which has comprehensive public transit which can easily get one anywhere one wishes to go.

(Even when I lived in Florida, I didn't get my driver's license until I had graduated college. While having a car is convenient and driving can actually be enjoyable--particularly on long drives on uncrowded stretches of road or highway--I do prefer to leave the driving to others. I can look out the window or read or take a nap.